Mail-box.



W. W. HENRY L A. STEVENS.

MAIL BOX.

APPLlcAloN FILED 1AN.12,|915..

Patented Feb.29,1916.

E ATT? an santas WEilL-IAM WEIR HENRY, 0F WOLLASTON, ANI) J-iIfION E. STEVENS, OF ATLANTIC, MAS- fxSHUSETTS, ASSGNGRS TO S. H. COUCH CO. INC., OF ATLANTIC, MASSACHUSETTS.

Main-nox.

incassi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application ilei January 12, 1915. Serial No. 1,740.

States, and residing at the above 'places in Vthe county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and -useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boxes or cabinets, such as, for instance, mail boxes, and has particular reference to the closure and the mechanism for mounting the same, althpughv there are other features which come within the scope of our invention, as will later appear.

In the drawings, which' illustrate our 1n- 1 vention as applied to mail boxesmounted in series on a single faceplate, Figure l is a side vieu1 in vertical elevation. Fig. 2 1s a front viewin vertical elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, with one of the doors partly open and in elevation. (In this` view, liberty has beenv ytaken to hinge the'L-dccrs at the side opposite to that shown/ in Fig. 2.) Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections, respectively, on lines 5-5, 6 6 and 7-7 of @ur principal 'object has been to produce a box with a plain front and without the usual'projections and corners for forming the hinge, jamb or lock, and to form a closure for same in which all the mounting y parts are concealed within the box. As one of the novel features to this end, we have shown a swinging door so pivoted to the box that a small portion swings inward whenr the main portion swings outward, this arrangement permitting a. door pintlethat isentirely concealed.

The wall-plate 1 is struck from sheet metal so as to give the appearance of a plate of allded thickness and is formed with a series of screw-holes 2 by which means the plate 1 is secured to a suitable framing, not shown. The openings 3, 4 and 5, in this ce se al1 .fsimilar in outline, permit access to a series of inclined boxes' 6, 7 and 8, made preferably of sheet metal and formed to l,snugly adjoin each other so as to economize space within the wall upon which' the wallplate 1 is secured, and particularly the perpendicular space fromI said plate. These boxesare secured to plate 1 by means of a. series of inturned ears or lugs 9, on said plate, which t snugly within the respective boxes, and also by a pair of metal strips 10, 10, positioned along the outsides of the boxes. The pintle 11, on which all the doorsv are hung, passes lthrough holes in the boxes.

and also through other ears or lugsl 13, formed integral with plate 1, and is thus entirely concealed back of plate 1.

The formation and mountings of the doors present the principal features of novelty in our invention, and as they are all shown identical' in construction, but one need be described.

.In forming our door of sheet/metaL-'it is desirable, both for purposes of economy and eiiiciency, that the several. parts .forming the hinge and other removable portions should be secured by means of ears stuck up from the integral with thedoor. Also, for purposes of neat nish and Smooth exterior, it'is desirable that .no'ne of these ears nor the spaces from which they were struck should be visible from the front or outside. For-these reasons, we prefer to form our door with a face sheet 12 which is bent or crimped around the edges of the inside plate 15, which latter may be of heavier and cheaper material. Both sheet 12 and platev of said flap against the opening 17 by grav-- ity. Below opening 17, We form another opening 21, guarded inside by a vglass window 22, said window being retained by a pair of spring-plates 23 whichhook over ears 24, struck up from plate 15, so as to prevent chattering of the window. A similar pair of ears 25 are struck-up to engage the upper edge of window 22, the end play of said window being guarded by another pair of' ears 26.

The only bolts used in the entire .box are those numbered 27 which secure the lock 28, of ordinary construction, to plate 15. The only rivets used (excepting the usual ones found in an ordinary lock) are those` to locked position, and the inturned edge 32, 0n each of the several openings 3, 4 and 5, serves as Va hasp for the bolt 33 of lock 28. (Fig. 4.) Spring-plates 23 are preferably made slightly longer than is necessary to hold Window 22 against chatteringiand this is to permit a printed or numbered card to be slipped between them and the window to servey as a means of identification that will be visible from the front, but which is secure against disturbance by those who do not possess a key to the door.

We do not limit ourselves to the precise construction shown.

What vWe claim is:

1. In a mail box, a face-plate with a plurality of openings; a plurality of separate, open-ended boxes rigidly secured -against said face-plateso their open ends shall each register with one of said openings; and horizontally swinging doors, one for each of said openingsland each comprising a stiii',

sheet-metal frame with suitable openings,

and a iexible sheet-metal veneer rigidly at-1 tached to said frame.

2..A Inail box comprising a Wall-plate With a plurality of openings; a plurality of individual boxes rigidly secured against the rear of said Wall-plate and adapted to reg,`

ister With said openings; and a plurality of doors, one for each ot' said openings, each VAdoor comprising a frame with an opening for the insertion of mail matter into its respective box, movable means for closing the' l A close said opening and comprising a metal openingfin saidv frame, ears struck up from said frame and adapted forthe mounting of said movable means, and' a iiexible metal covering formsaid frame and rigidly lattached thereto so as to conceal saidjears from front View and to permit said insertion of mail matter.

3. In a mail box,V a face-plate with suitable openings; a series of individuahhopenendedlbox'es rigidly secured against the back of said face-plate, one against each of said openings; and a series'of :doors adapted to close saidvopeningsf, each, door comprising a stiff, sheet-metal. frame with suitable openings, closers for said. openings in said frame,

Aand visible therethrough; and a flexible metal sheet with openings adapted to register with said openingsinsaid frame, said sheet being permanently and rigidly mounted on the front of said frame and adapted to conceal said mountings from front View.

5. A mail box comprising a Wall-plate ,A with a plurality of openings; a plurality of.

swinging doors adapted to close said openf ings and provided with apertures for the in-` i sertion of mail matter; and a common pintle for said doors; in combination ivith a plurality of individual, openended and inclined boxes adapted to be rigidly secured to the rear of said wall-plate, one independently over each of said openings, all of said boxes being identical in shape and outline.

6; A mail box comprising a wall-plate with an opening; an open-ended, single'- compartment and inclined box `rigidly secured against the rear of said wall-plate and over said opening; and a door adapted to frame with an aperture for the insertion of mall matter, and a fiexible sheet metal covering formed aroundthe edges of said frame `and fast thereon,. said covering having an aperture in register with that of said frame and being adapted to conceal said frame from front View. l

In testimony whereof,-we have affixed our signatures, in .the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM WEIR HENRY. ALTON E. STEVENS. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. FAY, WALDo B. FAY. 

